1 Newborn Pediatrics, Pennsylvania Hospital, 8th & Spruce Sts, Philadelphia, PA 19107
To the Editor.
The report by Millunchick and McArtor1 about the aspiration of a "makeshift" pacifier underscores the serious concerns of the widespread use of such pacifiers. As the authors point out, the nipple can easily detach from its unattached collar in the presence of high negative pressures within the nipple cavity. Colley and Creamer2 have previously reported a pressure of 250 cm H2O in low-flow teat nipples. We have recently documented the pressures generated by term babies sucking on such makeshift pacifiers.